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Ordinary People (1980)
Dad (1989)
The Moment: John (Ted Danson) reconnects with his father, who falls ill and is admitted to hospital. At the film’s emotional climax, the two talk about the things that made John’s father happy – before he quietly passes away.
If They Were Mother And Daughter: The film would be called Mum .
Tron: Legacy (2010)
The Moment: SPOILER ALERT. Flynn (Jeff Bridges) saves his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) from his evil replicant CLU by merging with him at the film’s climax, proving that fancy technology really is no match for fatherly love.
If They Were Mother And Daughter: On the Grid, it's probably possible to change a person's gender just by rearranging a few bits of data, so Jeff Bridges could still play Flynn - albeit with added lipgloss.
Nothing In Common (1986)
The Moment: Looking after his elderly mother and father, David (Tom Hanks) discovers that his dad once cheated on his mum, leading to a confrontation between David and his pa. “Tomorrow I'm shooting a commercial about a family who loves each other, who cares about each other,” he says. “I'm fakin’ it.”
If They Were Mother And Daughter: That condemning quip would retain its power, though an added "bitch" at the end might up the ante.
Shenandoah (1965)
The Moment: That joyous moment at the film’s climax, when a broken Charlie (James Stewart) is sitting in church, only for the service to be interrupted by a young newcomer…
If They Were Mother And Daughter: The newcomer's arrival would result in a lot of breast-heaving gasps and tearful hugs.
A Bronx Tale (1993)
The Moment: Lorenzo Anello (Robert De Niro) butts heads with his young son Calogero (Francis Capra) after the latter speaks with Mafia boss Sonny. After being admonished by his father, Calogero slaps him, then breaks into tears. Don’t worry, they hug it all out in the end.
If They Were Mother And Daughter: There'd still be slaps, tears and hugs; they're all non-gender-specific things, see.
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
The Moment: They may both be grumpy old men, but that doesn’t stop Grandpa Gustfson (Burgess Meredith) grilling his OAP son John (Jack Lemmon) on the ladies. “Did you mount her?” he asks. “Wait, wait. Has she got big thighs? No? Then what’s the problem?!”
If They Were Mother And Daughter: They'd be having a discussion about whether or not the old boy could get it up.
Five Easy Pieces (1970)
The Moment: Robert’s trip to visit his father, who’s suffered two strokes. It all goes a bit wrong when Robert sleeps with his brother’s fiancée, before his own pregnant girlfriend pitches up unannounced. Oops.
If They Were Mother And Daughter: Roberta would still make a mess of it all, especially if she slept with her brother's fiancée.
The Rookie (2002)
The Moment: Jim (Dennis Quaid) has no bigger supporter than his young son. So when he makes it onto a Major League baseball team, he of course tells his son – the resulting scene will make you laugh and cry.
If They Were Mother And Daughter: It'd be a film about Jim's wife and her daughter. Just look at them, they're desperate for the spotlight.
Road To Perdition (2002)
The Moment: Michael Sullivan, Sr. (Tom Hanks) kills his adopted father Rooney (Paul Newman) in the rain. "I'm glad it's you," Rooney says. Hey, we didn’t say all these great moments had to be happy ones.
If They Were Mother And Daughter: It'd still be murder.
